B.

Matt Pine last exhibited at the McDougall in 1979 soon after his return from abroad so this touring exhibition from the Sarjeant Gallery will provide an interesting opportunity to see his work in a larger context.

Pine graduated from Elam in 1962 and during his extensive time overseas was strongly influenced by minimalists and consructurist theories. Since his return in 1974 he has based much of his work on Maori and Polynesian cultural forms. The familiar structures of pataka or the fortifications of Te Porere, Gate Pa, Rangiriri and Te Awanga have been incorporated into the fabric of his constructurist or placement sculptures.

The cultural element is however merely a reference. Scale, shape, sequence, interval, multiples, equivalents and reduction are among Pine’s main concerns. Not everyone appreciates the austerity of his statements but as the artist says “It’s the idea that’s important. Everything relates back to the idea.”

('Matt Pine: Selected Works 1965-1985', Bulletin, No.53, September/October 1987, p.1)